CQI-32 training is a hands-on programme built on the 1st edition of AIAG‘s CQI-32 “Bar Steel System Questionnaire”, published in January 2026. The document provides an industry framework for bar steel producers and users in the automotive supply chain to assess their processes through a single, common questionnaire.
Why is CQI-32 necessary?
Bar steel is the starting material for countless safety- and function-critical automotive parts that go through forging, machining and heat treatment. An internal discontinuity or a composition deviation in the material surfaces much further down the chain — often only when the part fails in the field.
Until now, each customer assessed its steel suppliers with its own questionnaires and qualification forms: similar but never quite matching surveys landed at the same mill from different customers, and the redundant paperwork wore out supplier and customer alike. CQI-32 consolidates this into a single common questionnaire: supplier qualification becomes simpler, supplier selection speeds up amid sourcing changes (new supplier searches, regional shifts), and assessment results become comparable across customers.
Scope: which processes?
The questionnaire addresses the critical stages of bar steel production on a best-practice basis:
- Steelmaking: electric arc furnace (EAF), basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and energy optimizing furnace (EOF)
- Casting: continuous casting and ingot casting
- Inspection: internal quality controls including immersion ultrasonic testing
- Defect detection, prevention and reaction plans
- Process control and monitoring
Who should attend CQI-32 training?
- Quality and process teams at bar steel producers (steel mills and rolling mills)
- Teams responsible for incoming material quality at forging, machining and heat treatment plants
- SQA/SQD teams and supplier auditors who assess steel suppliers
- Teams responsible for purchasing and supplier qualification
- Organizations whose customers request a CQI-32 self-assessment
There are no prerequisites; basic knowledge of metallurgy or steelmaking makes participation easier.
Training Content
General framework
The purpose and scope of CQI-32 and its relationship with the other CQI documents; how the questionnaire approach differs from the special process assessments; the link to customer-specific requirements (CSRs).
Structure of the questionnaire
The sections and logic of the questionnaire: how it addresses steelmaking routes (EAF, BOF, EOF), casting routes, internal quality inspections and immersion ultrasonic testing, defect detection–prevention–reaction, and process control and monitoring.
Conducting the assessment
Self-assessment and customer assessment scenarios; gathering evidence, rating the responses and reporting findings; using the results in supplier selection and the qualification process.
Practical exercises
Practice through example scenarios: structuring a self-assessment for a steel mill, comparing candidate suppliers in a sourcing change, building an action plan against findings.
Learning Outcomes
- Grasping the structure and purpose of CQI-32
- Applying the questionnaire as a self-assessment or a supplier assessment
- Assessing the critical control points in steelmaking and casting processes
- Using assessment results in supplier selection and qualification
- Building a prevention-focused action plan against findings
Duration and Participation Options
Duration: 1 day (in in-house programmes, expandable to 2 days depending on scope and depth of practice).
Participation type: Open enrolment or in-house.
Training method: In person, live online, on-demand recording.
Dates: Set according to demand.
Certificate of Attendance
Participants who complete the training receive a certificate of attendance.
- CQI Trainings — which CQI applies to which process, the overall roadmap
- CQI-9 Training — heat treat system assessment
- CQI-27 Training — casting system assessment
- IATF 16949 Training — the automotive quality management system framework
Beyond Training: Implementation Support
After the training, we can provide implementation support: running the CQI-32 self-assessment for your site, producing the gap analysis and setting up the action plan, or assessing your steel suppliers within the CQI-32 framework. We plan the scope together based on your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About CQI-32 Training
Is CQI-32 a special process assessment? No. It is not a scored special process assessment like CQI-9 or CQI-27; it is a best-practice-based questionnaire. Its purpose is to establish a common assessment language for bar steel management and to simplify supplier qualification.
We’re not a steel producer — we use steel. Is the training suitable for us? Yes. The questionnaire is also designed for customers who assess steel suppliers (forging, machining and heat treatment plants, and OEM/Tier-1 purchasing teams); the training covers both perspectives.
What is the relationship between CQI-9 and CQI-32? CQI-9 assesses the heat treatment process itself; CQI-32 covers the production chain of the bar steel arriving at heat treatment (steelmaking and casting). For steel-input parts, the two complement each other.
Our customer requested a CQI-32 self-assessment — where should we start? Check the customer-specific requirements (CSRs), obtain the questionnaire from AIAG and run a gap analysis for your existing processes. The training provides the background needed to plan that process.
Do we need to have purchased the CQI-32 document for the training? It’s not mandatory; the training conveys the structure and logic of the document. At the implementation stage, however, we recommend the organization obtain the document from AIAG.